The silky voices and joyful stage presence of the Dallas-based a cappella group Kings Return will fill the Lancaster Elementary School Theater Saturday, December 13. The show, hosted by the Rappahannock Foundation for the Arts (RFA), begins at 7:30pm at 191 School Street, Kilmarnock. Doors open at 7.
The Grammy-nominated quartet—(left to right) tenor Vaughn Faison, bass Gabe Kunda, baritone Jamall Williams and tenor J.E. McKissic—take pride in crafting a diverse yet cohesive a cappella sound. They have earned comparisons to iconic acts like Take 6 and Boyz II Men. But what sets Kings Return apart is their seamless integration of a wide range of genres and styles. Their brand of R&B is entwined with free moments of jazz, soulful bursts of gospel, and bright touches of pop—all built on a solid, classical foundation.
The Grammy-nominated a cappella group Kings Return will warm up the holidays when they bring their mix of classical, pop, gospel, jazz and R&B/Soul to Lancaster Elementary School Theater on Saturday, December 13.
“These musicians create a beautiful and inspiring sound,” said RFA board president Jamie Tucker. “Listen deeply (www.kingsreturnmusic.com) and you realize that what sounds effortless—voices dancing around each other, melting together, moving from one chord to another, mimicking a bass line or a drum beat, telling an emotion-filled story—takes intense focus, years of practice, and incredible talent. Join us and prepare to be moved.”
It seems fitting that Kings Return was born in a church; a cappella comes from the Italian alla cappella, meaning “in chapel style.” Where it once defined the Gregorian chants that filled the cathedrals of Catholic Europe, today it defines any music, secular or sacred, performed without instrumental accompaniment.
In 2016, Kunda asked three friends, including McKissic, to sing with him for his senior recital at Dallas Baptist University. To practice, they met in a three-story stairwell inside Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, where McKissic’s father was pastor. Their recital captivated the crowd and soon led to local gigs, where the group cut their teeth before finalizing their lineup in 2020.
Kings Return has since captured the hearts of millions of fans in-person and online. They earned their first taste of fame when they arranged, performed (in the stairwell, of course) and posted a video of their soul-stirring, a cappella rendition of “God Bless America,” which went viral. They later posted a more classical a cappella performance of “Ubi Caritas,” which also went viral, amassing over 10 million views.
In a pivotal moment for the budding act, Kings Return began to shift away from a strictly gospel focus to explore a more diverse repertoire. They dropped their debut EP in December 2021, a warm, jazz-leaning holiday album titled “Merry Little Christmas,” followed by the release of their Bee Gees cover “How Deep is Your Love,” which earned a Grammy nomination in 2023 for Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella. That song had appeared on their 2022 debut LP “Rove.” In 2023 they also released their first full-length holiday LP, aptly titled “We Four Kings.”
This year they earned two more Grammy nominations, for Best Gospel Album (“Come Sunday”) and Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella (for their arrangement of Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”)
In 2024, their YouTube rendition of “Ave Maria” so moved Joyce DiDonato, the multi-Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano opera star, that she sent them a note of appreciation, according to the Dallas Observer. Last December, after a few conversations, they toured the United States together with a festive program entitled ‘”ReJoyce.” At one point, DiDonato, whom The New Yorker proclaimed “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation,” remarked from the stage, “You guys are a very hard act to follow.”
On December 13, you can hear what she heard. Single tickets to the show ($45) are available at 804-438-5555 or on the RFA website rappahannockfoundation.org. Tickets at the door will be $50. The RFA season is sponsored by Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Wealth Management.
Series Sponsor: Susan G. Moenssens, Attorney at Law, Lighthouse Real Estate, Inc.
Program Sponsors: Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, Sebra Corporation, Tri-Star Supermarket, and Two Rivers Communications.
